A few shared strands of DNA run through these rare finds. One, they’re under-the-radar and underappreciated. Two, they’re all relatively close and accessible from anywhere around Monterey Peninsula’s collection of cities. Three, they all enjoy a lot to look at, including breathtaking vistas.
Feature Photo: Taste of Monterey, by Mark C. Anderson
700 Cannery Row, Ste KK, Monterey
831.646.5446
This revelation comes hidden in the very back corner of the 700 Cannery Row complex of shops that border Steinbeck Plaza, with Sly McFly’s Refueling Station and Lilly Mae’s Cinnamon Rolls as its facade. It flows wine from dozens of regional vintners — names to flag include Bernardus, Comanche, Wrath, Scheid and Silvestri — 90 all told, available via tasting flights, by the glass and bottle. Also doable to take home, with a 25% markdown for a four pack. And while the wine is profound, it’s elevated by the windows revealing full-bodied views of the bay from literally on top of the water.
2000 Prescott Ave, Monterey
831.375.5987
Here the “sandwiches” would be enough. Sandwiches go in quotes because these transcend the form in pure girth. “Aircraft carriers” would be more fitting, in terms of scale and spirit, as this is the go-to spot for neighboring Defense Language Institute. But there’s more at work here than mammoth deli sandwiches — like the epic #27 with bacon, avocado, Italian breaded chicken and pepper jack cheese on the French flat bread by Paris Bakery — including special recipe sides, rare potato chips and sodas, and quirky decor honoring the military.
Carmel-by-the-Sea isn’t renowned for its youthful vibe, but Barmel flips that script with a reliably brisk nightlife scene driven by DJs and a dance floor famed for bachelorette parties. That combines with a vintage polished wood-and-mirror bar, smart cocktails and superb Cali-Latin coastal fare like patatas bravas, braised pork empanadas, Baja tacos and chipotle scampi pasta.
Toro Creek Rd, Marina
831.582.2200
The former Army base, where 1.5 million troops train there before closing in 1994, hosts Cal State University Monterey Bay and a relatively new national monument of the same name, which functions a lot like a national park. Its wild expanses of rolling hills, colorful chaparral, oak woodlands and seasonal ponds come threaded with 86 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, road cycling and horseback riding. The uncrowded wilds also include coastal dunes where it will feel like you’re the only people in the world because you’re likely the only one on the beach.
511 Lighthouse Ave, Pacific Grove
831.215.1658
The Monterey Bay Area enjoys a robust roster of craft breweries, from internationally ranked Sante Adarius in Santa Cruz to burgeoning dynasty Alvarado Street Brewery in Monterey. Hops & Fog is its newest, smallest, and most neighborly, with great house brews to go with favorites from other local producers, marine murals and wood-fired pizzas from the imported dome oven.
25020 Jacks Peak Park Rd, Monterey
888.588.2267
Some locals call this the best outdoor view on Monterey Peninsula, and there’s a strong case to be made from its tallest lookout. Some 8-plus miles of trails unlock southern views of Carmel Valley and Point Lobos, and the western views traverse from Carmel to Sand City and points north. It’s also relentlessly underutilized, and the largest, native, contiguous pine forest in the world. The tall pine symbols of the city play home picnic tables tucked in meadows — and a menagerie of black-tailed deer, grey squirrels, white-tailed rabbits, brown nuthatchers and a bunch more indigenous wildlife.
1534 Fremont Blvd, Seaside
831.656.8810
The Meatery can be classified as a boutique whole-animal butchery, but a more responsible profile involves a bunch more stuff. It’s a destination brat house, with dozens of heaven-sent housemade sausages ranging from miso-black garlic to seafood boudin. It’s a legit deli, with daily crave-level sandwiches like the fried chicken, pork belly banh mi, and pastrami Reuben, and hand-crafted salads and sides. It’s a pantry-centric shop, too, with cookbooks and cooking tools. It’s also just a welcoming and mouthwatering venue, assembled by long time local legend Chef Todd Fisher and his sizable family.
100A Crossroads Blvd, Carmel, 831.626.3626
598 Foam St, Monterey, 831.646.0547
2420 Hwy 1, Moss Landing, 831.728.8686
7532 Sandholdt Rd, Moss Landing, 831.233.2305 (market)
This is actually four insider favorites in one, made possible by a longtime fishing family that began with brothers who slowing grew from chasing fresh catch on the water to operating three restaurants and a wholesale market attached to the processing space that makes small boat fishing possible around Monterey Bay. That market sets up dockside in Moss Landing, an old-school harbor community with other revelations worth peeking, including Phil’s Snack Shack. About a mile away, its partner restaurant preps that fresh catch in delicious dishes including some of the best fish tacos in the region.
18 E. Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel Valley
831.659.5052
Carmel Valley is an insider tip unto itself, thanks to the wealth of family-owned wine tasting rooms, welcoming cafes, shops and restaurants, all within walking distance. At this treasure-within-a-treasure, the name applies to the decor, the curated (and rotating) local art, the coffee program and — most importantly — the food and the vibe. That starts with owner-operator Analuisa Béjar, who has worked in kitchens and advocated for great food for decades, mostly 2,151 miles away, in her native Mexico City, as a pioneering chef and author. (Check out her most recent writing in Edible Monterey Bay magazine.) It’s difficult to go wrong here, given the wealth of fresh-baked goodies, including lemon butter shortbread, croissant sandwiches, cheese buns, bagel rolls, quiche of the day, breakfast burritos and brioche BLTs.
Tastebud liftoff comes courtesy of Exec Chef Tim Wood and his patented blend of farm-fresh, organic, rustic and rib-sticking. That finds expression in dishes like Swank Farms beet salads, calamari steaks, 14-ounce rib eyes, and signature sand dabs. That, combined with homey service, a booth-and-bar setting, views of coming and going aircraft make this a surprising local favorite, and two-time winner of USA Today’s vote on Best Airport Sit-Down Restaurant in the country.
